Chapter 1340: SOME GUARANTEED SUPPORT
LUO JIN stared at the dance floor where his brother was moving with Shen Ji Yun. Surprise flickered through him at first, but then he noticed the people whispering. Some were even pointing at the two. A tight feeling formed in his chest at the thought that they might be saying ugly things about Luo Yan.
"Oh my, is that Ji Yun dancing with your brother, Xiao Jin?"
Aunt Chenâs voice made Luo Jin freeze in his seat. He was sitting at the table with Su Yuqi, her mother, and her cousin. He was wedged right between Su Yuqi and her mother, so he heard the question clearly.
He honestly didnât know what to say. Not that he was embarrassed of Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yunâs relationship. No, that wasnât it at all. He was just... worried about how Aunt Chen might react. She was the mother of the woman he loved. If she showed even a hint of disgust on her face because of his brotherâs relationship, he honestly wasnât sure if he could stop himself from saying something disrespectful.
But he couldnât just sit there in silence and hope she would forget she had asked. So he steeled himself and answered simply, "Yes."
"Thatâs cute," Su Yuqiâs cousin, Su Jingyi, commented.
Luo Jin glanced at her, trying to figure out if she was being sarcastic. But Su Jingyi was just watching Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun with genuine curiosity on her face, like a child seeing something interesting. But he knew her curiosity wasnât because she understood that his brother and Shen Ji Yun were in a relationship. She probably just thought they were two guys messing around.
Still, thatâs better than outright disgust or scorn. He would take innocent curiosity over that any day.
"Indeed it is."
When he heard Aunt Chenâs response, Luo Jin turned to her rather sharply. He was sure the surprise on his face was obvious, given the warm, knowing smile she gave him. But beneath that smile, there was something else. A quiet acceptance. Like she understood more than he expected and simply didnât see a problem with it. There was no judgment in her eyes, no discomfort. She didnât seem bothered at all. And that surprised Luo Jin even more.
"My parents arenât like those gossiping people over there with their outdated views," Su Yuqi whispered to him, as if she knew exactly what was going through his head. "Theyâre pretty open-minded. You donât have to worry about them thinking badly of Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun."
Even though he had already picked up on that from his brief exchange with Aunt Chen, hearing Su Yuqi say it out loud made him feel more at ease.
Then Su Yuqi sprang from her seat. "Come on, letâs go dance. We can show some support for your brother and Shen Ji Yun."
"What a great idea," Aunt Chen said, her voice almost squealing like a teenage girl.
"Aww... I want to dance too," Su Jingyi pouted, then turned to Luo Jin. "Do you think I could ask your oldest brother for a dance? Heâs completely my type."
Luo Jin didnât know how to respond. He felt that if he said Luo Ren wouldnât want to dance with her, it would come off as rude. But thankfully, Su Yuqi stepped in before he had to.
"Donât bother, Jingyi. That guy already has a girlfriend."
With that, Su Yuqi grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the dance floor.
~~~
"I heard the Shen familyâs young master said something rather... explosive on the balcony earlier. Something about those two being more than just friends."
"Well, they certainly donât look like theyâre denying it. Dancing like that in front of everyone takes a certain kind of nerve."
"The Luo family must be beside themselves. Imagine having your sonâs private life aired out at his own birthday party."
"I suppose love is love, but one would think theyâd exercise a little more discretion. For their familiesâ sakes, if nothing else."
"Itâs not exactly something Iâd want my children to see. There are certain things you keep behind closed doors."
"Times are changing, I suppose. Whether for better or worse, Iâll leave that for others to decide."
"Well, I know what I think. I just wouldnât say it out loud in mixed company."
Bai Ze gripped the stem of his champagne glass as he listened to the gossip spreading through the banquet hall. He didnât know what exactly Shen Lin had done, but it had clearly set off a chain reaction of problems. And his cousin and his friendâs response to all of it was to dance together, looking completely in love, like a big middle finger to everyone who was judging them.
Part of him wanted to applaud them for being so brave. But another part was worried about what kind of fallout this would cause.
He sighed. Now he was regretting not stopping his mother from inviting the Shen family in the first place. Maybe then none of this would have happened. But he had only found out about it this morning, so what could he have done differently? Still, he wished he had done more.
"Ah Ze, should we go dance?"
Xia Liâs voice pulled Bai Zeâs attention back to her. Her dark hair was pinned up loosely, and she wore a purple cocktail dress with a flowing skirt that moved when she shifted in her seat. For a moment, he had almost forgotten he was here with her, caught up in everything else happening. He felt a small pang of guilt. He had invited her to this party. She had dressed up so nicely for it. And he had let himself get distracted for more than a few minutes and almost ignored her.
"Dance?" Bai Ze repeated, as if the word had just registered.
Xia Li nodded, a small frown creasing her forehead. "I donât like the way these people are talking about Noctis and YUN. So letâs go dance and show them some moral support."
Bai Ze blinked, then let out a small laugh. He stood up and held out his hand to Xia Li. "Letâs go, then, princess."